Focus Group: Dead or Alive?
Posted by goodmind on March 19th, 2009
“Listen Up, Marketers: The Focus Group is Dead”, thus begins a blog post yesterday by Catharine Taylor on Media Post. Since the article was posted yesterday afternoon, there have been over 30 (lengthy) comments/reactions to this. Some agree with her (or at least commend her for being so bold), and some do not:
For:
Bravo Cathy! Another case of calling out the old guard and questioning obsolete thinking still alive and well at many big agencies. Why still use focus groups? Because after countless days behind two way glass eating M&M’s, it’s clear to me an industrial complex has been built around the mutual admiration of this awkward tactic. In other words, agencies and research companies know how to make money doing focus groups. -Jamie Tedford from Brand Networks Inc.
Couldn’t agree more. In fact I think the old model of recruitment and focus group testing will be dead if not nearly dead in a few years. -Jim Lefevere from Independent
Against:
Ummm..let’s try and remember for what we USE focus groups. Focus groups are “directional”. That is, they should be used in the early stages of a project to get input from real life consumers. They are not intended to be the “be all and end all” of market research.
I would never say the focus group is dead. I would say that social media gives us some new tools to use to test ideas.
Nice attention grabbing headline and great quotes…but let’s get serious! -Maryanne Conlin from MMG
I think some of you are drinking your own Kool-Aid. I can’t wait until “social media” agencies have to rename themselves when social media “dies.” C’mon, why would anyone say any form of listening is dead? That’s just ridiculous. Wasn’t anyone listening to Obama? Enough with the grandiose statements and generalizations. Enough with this black and white approach. There are no easy answers to complex problems. -Jesse Dienstag from DGWB
We do not think the focus group is dead. The focus group is still an important part of the research methodology arsenal, if you will. It allows us to listen, glean insight, and move forward effectively with product or concept development. But the main takeaway is that when trying to obtain consumer feedback, it’s not just about listening, but listening to the RIGHT people, in the right context.
There’s a difference between focus group participants and the consumers you find through social media outlets. Research participants are motivated (by M&Ms & $$$) and cognizant of their role. Consumers involved in social media are motivated by a desire to participate and potentially influence an outcome. They are noticing events like Motrin Moms and Tropicana and are seeing just how potentially powerful and influential they can be.
There’s a place for focus groups. There’s a place for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and other forms of social media in the research process. You just need to use them smartly and responsibly.
